AFSCME’s Day on the Hill was the biggest ever with 1,500 public workers jamming every inch of the Capitol rotunda during the lunch hour March 22. Our chants raised the roof demanding that the state’s budget not be balanced on the backs of middle-income Minnesotans. We fanned out to meet with lawmakers and defend ourselves against 50 toxic bills that attack public workers and put public services at risk. The Republican majority wants to give hundreds of millions of dollars in tax cuts to their rich friends and corporate donors. And they want public workers to pay for it with wage and benefit cuts. Our budget fix: Tax the rich to protect jobs and services. Check out the photo gallery and Workday story. Watch the video.

Our legislative priorities:

• Raise revenue, including fair taxes on rich individuals and corporations.
• Protect essential public services that families need most during tough times. 
• Save and create good jobs to jumpstart economic recovery.
• Restore state aid to local governments to stabilize property taxes.
• Defend the rights of workers to collectively bargain and have a voice on the job.
• Stop privatization that threatens the quality of public services.
• Safeguard pensions so public employees can retire with dignity.

DOTH rally

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We shouted "TAX THE RICH!"

Rich Minnesotans should pay their fair share of taxes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We delivered checks suggesting that the state raise $3.2 billion by asking the richest Minnesotans to pay their fair share of taxes.

Mike Lindholt, Local 221

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowplow driver Mike Lindholt: “We will not let Minnesota become the next Wisconsin.”

Yvette Young, Local 920

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Department of Health worker Yvette Young: “An average AFSCME pension is about $13,000 a year. With Social Security, this is the difference between dignity and poverty.”

AFSCME pride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proud public workers deserve dignity and respect on the job.

Members meet with Rep. Drazkowski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forget it, Rep. Drazkowski! We don’t want the “right to work for $5,000 less.”

Members meet with Rep. Drazkowski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lisha Poulakis was livid listening to Rep. Drazkowski talk about rolling back pay equity for women.

Members meet with Rep. Drazkowski

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Mueller had enough when Rep. Drazkowski said that baby monitors should replace caregivers for the developmentally disabled.